M for Murder
by Butterfly Betty
Summary: Running from the Devil is never easy. #AU #Human #Angst #Suspense
1. Prologue

Prologue

Bella Swan crossed her legs and pulled her chair up to the small wooden desk. Her laptop was open in front of her, but not connected to the internet. No matter how badly she wanted to establish connection, surf through her social media accounts, she didn't dare. It wasn't safe.

Instead, she found herself flipping through the dozens of pictures stored on her hard drive. The small, raven hair girl grinned toothlessly at her in one picture. Her face was covered in vanilla ice cream, and her skin was pink from hours spent in the sun.

Tears flooded Bella's eyes as she clicked on the next picture. This one of the same small girl hanging on Bella's back. Her arms were wrapped around her neck, her smile bright and loving. She brought her hand up, tracing the delicate features of the small girl. If she tried hard enough, she could almost feel the girls arms wrapped around her, the heat of her skin contracting her constant coolness. The sound of the girl's laughter echoed inside her head, always reminding her of the happier times in her life. Before everything changed.

Bella was about to click on the next picture when the door to the small motel room was thrown open. Startled, she scrambled to her feet as a tall, thin auburn haired man rushed inside, slamming the door behind him. His green eyes shifted to hers and she knew what words were going to leave his mouth before he even said them.

"He's found us. We have to leave. Now."

"How?" she cried out as she closed her laptop and yanked it off the desk.

"I don't know. Just hurry."

Bella choked back the tears that threatened to fall as she turned toward the bed. She shoved her laptop back into her suitcase, but before she could sip the case up, the door was once again thrown open. Like slow motion, she turned toward the door at the same moment that he leapt over the bed and stood in front of her, his arm reaching back to cage her against his body as he pulled the black handgun from the holster on his left hip.

Standing in the doorway, an evil grin on his lips, stood that man who ruined her life. The man who killed her daughter, and now, wanted to kill her, too.


	2. Chapter 1

1

Bella Swan tapped her nails against the steering wheel while looking down at the paper in her other hand. The long list of needed groceries had her groaning. Being Friday, the market would be packed with shoppers wanting to get home before the cold front whipped through overnight, plunging temperatures from the upper sixties to the bitter thirties. For mid-February in North Texas, the weather had been unseasonably warm, yet the cold that made sure they knew winter was still around had been acrimonious.

A quick glance at the clock had Bella shoving her list into her purse, turning off the car, and scrambling out before she got lost in the crowd that always gathered outside of Grover Hills Elementary. She hated their dismissal system, but understood the need. With so many students from the age of five to the age of ten, or eleven, it was easier for the teachers to lead the students out and release them to their parent or guardian. Those who rode the bus were taken separately, and those who walked, waited inside the building until those who were picked up left and there wasn't any danger of them being hit by a car.

The front doors opened and Mrs. Grey led the kindergarten students out, gesturing for students to head to their parent as she spotted them. She paused as she placed her hand on the shoulder of the small, raven haired girl at her side. Her blue eyes wide with worry. She was an anxious child, a worrier just like Bella. Mrs. Grey smiled when she spotted Bella.

"See you next week, Charlie. Stay warm, okay?"

"Okay, Mrs. Grey," Charlie replied, her lips curving into a beautiful smile that showed two missing front teeth. She took off running toward Bella, her long hair bouncing against her back. "Mommy!"

"Hey, sweet girl." Bella scooped the girl into her arms, knowing she was getting too big to be held and carried. Yet, she couldn't resist. "How was school?"

"Boring," Charlie stated as fact. "I'm hungry."

Bella laughed and carried her to the car. "Well, it's a good thing I stopped and picked you up a little snack, isn't it?"

"What'd you get me?" Charlie asked, her excitement level doubling.

"Hmm, well, I might have stopped by the bakery," Bella hinted as she opened the back door to her car and set Charlie down. The girl's eyes shifted to the seat next to her booster chair and widened when she spotted the small box from Doc's Bakery next to it. "Cookies or cupcakes?"

"Guess you'd better get in the car if you want to find out."

Charlie scrambled into her seat, waiting while Bella buckled her inside before reaching for the white box. She pried the lid open and cheered when she saw the shortbread cookie decorated like a monkey.

"Thank you, Mommy!"

Bella smiled. "You're welcome, sweet girl. We have to stop by the market before we head home. I'm thinking chicken nuggets and mac and cheese for dinner."

"Yummy!" Charlie cheered, her mouth full of cookie and icing covering her lips.

The trip to the market was insane. Most of the shelves had already been stripped bare by shoppers who had been smart enough to come early. All of the bottled water, toilet paper, bread, and eggs were gone. Bella managed to get the last three cucumbers, a bag of carrots, a package of turkey breast for sandwiches, and some tortillas. She also added two boxes of matches, some extra batteries for their flashlights, and a couple of candles. Last time a storm this big rolled into town, they lost power for three days. That was not an experience she hoped to have again and was grateful that she had spent the morning chopping firewood. Better safe than sorry, she thought. It was a lesson her father had taught her when she was a little girl.

"Hey, Bella." A squeaky voice from behind had Bella's shoulders tensing as she turned, finding Mike Newton, the owner of Newton's Market standing a few feet behind her. She'd scanned the parking lot in search for his truck, but hadn't seen it. Clearly, it was time to get her eyes checked again. "I thought you might be coming in, so I put a couple cases of water in the office for you."

"Oh, well, thanks, but I've got plenty," she said, trying to keep her calm.

Mike wasn't a bad guy, just clingy. She had gone on one date with him, mostly out of pity and self-loathing, and he had made it clear he wanted more. More than she could give, more than she'd ever want with him. He called constantly, had made it a habit to stop by her house, and, followed her on more than one occasion through the store while she shopped. It was one reason she avoided the market, opting to drive to the next town to do her shopping, but she hadn't had time before the storm was due in.

"Oh, yeah, of course." Mike shrugged his shoulders, his eyes traveling down to Charlie, who had perched herself under the shopping cart, before looking back at Bella. "If it gets too bad, you and Charlie can come over to my place."

"I'm sure we'll be fine," she said, gesturing to the front of the store. "But it looks like they need you up front, so . . ."

Mike nodded before he turned and hurried off. Rolling her eyes, Bella pushed her basket further down and added some crackers, cookies, and a package of honey buns, causing Charlie to start cheering. Bella laughed and joined the que of people waiting to check out.

A few hours later, and a hot meal in their bellies, Bella carried Charlie down the hallway to her bedroom, laying the girl down gently before she pulled the covers up. Charlie's eyes fluttered open.

"Mommy, tell me the story."

"It's late, sweetheart," Bella whispered, sitting on the side of the bed and draping her arm over the little girl's legs.

"Please, Mommy!" Charlie whimpered, as she did every night when she asked for the story.

Bella sighed. "Okay, okay." She took a deep breath before saying, "Daddy and I met on our first day of high school. He was new and all the girls had crushes on him. I did too, even if I didn't want to admit it. A month after school started, he asked me to tutor him in biology. Said I was the smartest girl on school and I was the only one who could keep him from failing."

"Tell me what he looked like," Charlie whispered, her blue eyes filling with tears.

"He was so handsome. He was tall and strong. He had dark hair, like yours, and the brightest blue eyes. Just like yours, sweetheart. For weeks, we would meet in the library and we'd go over whatever lesson we had that day. He always seemed to know the right answers for someone who claimed that he needed help. One day, he asked if I would go with him somewhere, somewhere secret. I wasn't sure I should, but found myself agreeing, so off we went on an adventure. He took me through the woods, up the mountain until we were standing on the banks of a small lake. There was a small waterfall, and the water was as clear as ice. He told me it was his favorite place in the world, and looked at me as he said he wanted to share it with his favorite person in the world."

"You, right, Mommy?" Charlie asked as a tear slipped down her cheek.

Bella nodded. "He said I was beautiful and he wanted me to be his girl. He kissed me and from that moment on, I was his and he was mine."

"And you loved him, didn't you?"

Once more, Bella nodded. "With everything I had."

"And he loved you, too."

It was a statement, not a question, but Bella found herself nodding. "And you. He loved you so much, Charlie."

Charlie rolled onto her side, tucking her stuffed puppy dog against her chest. "If he loved me so much, why'd he have to die?"

Bella didn't have a response. It was the same question Charlie asked every night, every time Bella told her the story. "I don't know." She leaned down and kissed Charlie's cheek. "Go to sleep, sweetheart. I love you."

"I love you, too, Mommy," she cried, her voice thick with emotion.

Bella left Charlie's door cracked open and the light on in the hallway as she made her way down to the kitchen. She settled at the table and began to sort through the mail, tossing the junk mail in one pile and the bills in another. It was the last envelope that had tears welling up in her eyes, though. She should have realized it would be coming. It was almost the end of the month. Turning it over, her finger slid beneath the fold and she pried it open, pulling out the card. On the front, there was a beautiful flower, a rose. Bella's fingers shook as she flipped the card open, once again finding the messy scrawl that haunted her.

"Happy Anniversary, my love. We'll be together soon."

A scream filled Bella's throat, though she managed to keep it inside as she scrambled out of her chair and rushed across the kitchen. She yanked the shoe box off the top, prying the lid off and letting it drop to the floor. Inside the box were sixty-three cards, each one saying the same thing. As Bella added the new one to the box and picked up the lid, tears fell down her face. She placed the box back on top of the refrigerator before sliding to the floor, her knees bent in front of her and her arms wrapped around them. Sixty-three cards, sixty-three months, and he still tormented her. The only solace Bella had was that Charlie would never know what kind of man her father really was — a monster, who would stop at nothing to destroy the world Bella had built for them.

 **Thank you for all the amazing reviews!**


	3. Chapter 2

2

"Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, hurry!"

Bella resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she rushed out of her bedroom with her wool hat in one hands and a pair of gloves in the other. Charlie was standing next to the front door with her coat, hat, and gloves already on.

"Why can't you move that fast when getting ready for school?" Bella asked, laughing at the way her daughter glared at her as she slipped her gloves onto her hands.

"Because school's boring," Charlie quipped, folding her arms in front of her.

"Yeah, I mean who wants to learn how to read and write," Bella scoffed with a pointed look at the girl. "Be careful on the way to the car. It's slippery out."

"I know, Mommy," Charlie grumbled, rolling her eyes. Bella wanted to call the little one out on her rudeness, but opted not to fight that battle. There were bigger things to worry about, after all.

Bella yanked the door open and followed Charlie onto the front porch, thankful the snow hadn't blown onto the porch. However, her attention was pulled to the snow between the front porch and the driveway, where her car had been parked. She and Charlie hadn't left the house once in two days, choosing to stay inside the warmth. So why were there footprints leading from the driveway, around her car, to the front porch.

Terror filled Bella as she placed her hand on Charlie's chest, pulling the girl back against her body as she looked around, noting the way the footprints circled around the house, too. Bile crept up her throat and she found herself suppressing a scream. Someone had been outside her house in the last two days, and she had a feeling she knew exactly who.

"Get back in the house, Charlie," she barely managed to choke out.

"Mommy!" Charlie started whining.

"Get in the house, Charlotte Renee Swan!" Bella screamed, pushing the little girl inside the house and yanking the door close.

"Mommy! Mommy, what's wrong?" Charlie cried from inside.

Tears fell down Bella's face as she tore her gloves off, letting them fall onto the porch. She dug her cell phone from her purse, slamming her finger on the contact button, and scrolling until she found the contact labeled E.M. Her fingers shook and her tears fell as she made called the one person who knew just how much shit was about to go down.

After three rings, Bella was about to end the call when a dull click came through followed by a rushed, "Talk to me."

"He's back."

Silence.

"Did you hear me? He's back! He's been here at the house."

"How'd he find you?"

"Fuck if I know," Bella murmured, scanning her surrounding for any sign that he was still there. "I didn't hear him, but there are footprints in the snow. We haven't left the house in two fucking days."

"Where's Charlie?"

"Inside."

"Can y'all meet me? Usual place?"

"Yeah." She paused. "I . . . I'm scared."

"I know. An hour, okay? Everything will be okay."

"An hour," Bella whispered before ending the call.

—MfM—

Just under an hour later, Bella and Charlie were seated in the car, outside of an abandoned gas station fifty miles from their house. It had taken some convincing, but Bella manage to talk Charlie out of the house and into the car, but not until Bella made sure the car was okay. The break lines hadn't been cut and there weren't any bombs inside. Two fears Bella never thought she'd have to worry about, yet she did. Every second of the day.

"Mommy, I'm hungry," Charlie whined.

Bella spared her a look through the rearview mirror. "You've got fruit snacks in your bag."

"I don't want those," she grumbled ruefully. "You said we could get cookies today."

"I know, but . . ." Bella's words died in her throat as the black sedan pulled up behind her. "Wait here."

Bella didn't give Charlie the chance to argue before she slipped out of the car and turned toward the man sitting in the driver's seat of the other car. The door opened and he slipped out. Tall and thin, he closed his car door and ran a hand through his auburn hair before tugging the black sunglasses off his face, his green eyes filled with sadness.

"Hey," she said, shoving her gloved hands onto the pocket of her coat.

"Hey," he replied, walking over to her car. He bent down and peered into the backseat, smiling at Charlie. "She's gotten big."

"Five years will do that."

He nodded and leaned against the side of the car, folding his arms across his chest. "Any idea how he found you?"

Bella shook her head. "Mails still be sent to that box in Oklahoma and then forwarded to boxes in Colorado, California, and finally here."

"Still getting cards from him?"

"Every month."

"Crazy motherfucker," he muttered with a shake of his head. "And you think he was outside your house?"

"If not him, then I don't know who. Nobody knows where we are. I left everyone behind, just like you told me to do."

"I know." Turning, he placed his hands on top of the car and looked around. "I just don't know how he could have found you, B."

"Me either," she whimpered, leaning down and checking on Charlie, like the little girl could have suddenly disappeared. "We have to leave, don't we?"

He nodded and turned, leaning against the car.

"Fuck," Bella swore and took a few steps before she faced him again. "How long are we supposed to live like this? It's not fair to her!"

"I know it's not, but what other choice do you have? You know what he'll do to you, B!"

Lifting her hand to her chest, she traced the scars hidden beneath her jacket. "Yeah, yeah, I do."

Pushing away from the car, he closed the gap between them, his hands cupping her face. "It's going to be okay."

"How? How is anything ever going to be okay again, E?" she cried, grabbing the front of his coat.

"Because I'll keep you safe," he whispered, nestling her against his chest. "Both of you."

"I hope so," she whispered, knowing she was putting both her life and Charlie's in the hands of Edward Mason.

 **Thank you for all the amazing reviews.**


	4. Chapter 3

3

Bella peeked through the mirror on the sun visor, checking once more on the small, fragile girl asleep in her booster seat. She hadn't been happy when Bella dragged her out of the car and shuffled her into Edward's sedan, or when she realized that they weren't returning back home. She screamed and cried for hours before passing out from pure exhaustion. Bella hated that Charlie couldn't have a normal childhood, that she'd been forced to leave everything behind. All her toys, her stuffed animals, her books. The only solace Bella had was that she had been careful not to leave anything behind that would lead _him_ to them. She learned to always keep a bag packed for both of them. Better to be prepared than to be scrambling to get away. Life had taught her that lesson the hard way.

"She's okay, B."

Sighing, Bella flipped the visor back up and looked at Edward, who had one hand draped on the top of the steering wheel while the other was laid flatly on his left thigh. His shoulders were tense and she watched the way he constantly checked his mirrors, always worried that they'd be caught.

"She's feisty," he added, a smile curving at the corners of his lips. "Like you."

"She's nothing like me," Bella murmured, clearing her throat. "She's more like him, as much as I hate to admit it. Gets this look in her eyes when she doesn't get her way, and I can see the meltdown coming. A part of me wants to scream at her to stop, beg her to just not be like him one time. Just one fucking time."

Bella peeked over her shoulder at Charlie once more before looking at Edward. "Every night when I tuck her in, she asks me to tell her the story of how he and I met. I lie and tell her some bullshit about how he wooed me, loved me, needed me. I lie to her because I don't want her to know how he hurt me, how he tortured me, how he tore my body and soul apart."

Edward frowned, but didn't say anything.

"I was supposed to be free of him. Finally free, but I never will be, will I?"

"Probably not," he admitted, changing lanes and passing an eighteen wheeler. As he drifted back into the right hand lane, he sighed. "I just don't understand how he found you." Edward paused, sparing her a look before he added, "You haven't reached out to them, have you?"

"Of course not," she insisted. "It's just been me and her; just like you said it had to be."

Edward nodded.

"Have you been in contact with them?" she wondered, trying to make herself sound unconcerned. She failed of course.

"Talked to them last month. Played the part of the naïve federal agent well, I might add."

"And, um, they're okay?" Her voice cracked and tears flooded her eyes as she purposely kept her eyes turned from him.

"No," he admitted and she looked at him. He gave her a sad smile. "They held a candlelight vigil in honor of you this year. The fifth anniversary of when you went missing. They cried, B. They cried a lot."

Bella pulled her legs up in front of her as she once again looked over her shoulder at Charlie. "They'd love her, don't you think?"

"I do."

And without adding anything else, Edward drove faster.

—MfM—

"Ring-a-ring o' roses, a pocket full of posies. A-tishoo! A-tishoo! We all fall down. Cows in the meadows. Eating buttercups. A-tishoo! A-tishoo! We all jump up."

Bella sighed. "Charlie, that's enough."

""Ring-a-ring o' roses, a pocket full of posies. A-tishoo! A-tishoo! We all fall down. Cows in the meadows. Eating buttercups. A-tishoo! A-tishoo! We all jump up," she sang again, only a little louder this time.

Shifting in her seat, Bella turned and glared at the girl, noting the way Edward was gripping the steering wheel with aggravation. The little girl had been singing that stupid nursery rhyme non-stop for the last two hours, ever since she woke up from her 'nap' and realized that she really was stuck in the car with zero chance of returning home.

"Charlotte Renee, stop being a brat," Bella snarled, her temper getting the best of her.

"I wanna go home!" Charlie whined, putting her feet up on the back of Edward's seat and pushing. "I wanna go home right now!"

"We can't," Bella told her, pleading with her to understand. "Think of it as being on an adventure."

"I just wanna go home." And with that, the tears fell and Charlie started crying—again.

Half an hour later, and several turns, Edward pulled his car up in front of a small, brick house that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. As he and Bella climbed out of the front seat, the screen door to the house opened and a tall, thin man with shaggy blond hair stepped out onto the porch, a shotgun clutched in his hands and pointed in their direction. However, as Jasper Whitlock's attention shifted from Edward to Bella, his lips curved upwards and he smiled.

"B? Is that really you?"

She tried to return his smile as she nodded. He tucked the shotgun under his arm and scrambled down the front steps, stopping just short of the car when Edward opened the back door and Charlie climbed out. His deep blue eyes shifted from the small raven haired girl to Bella.

"Damn, B."

"Yeah, I know," she murmured, rushing around the car and stopping behind Charlie, who turned and wrapped her arms around Bella's legs. "Been a long time, J."

"Too long," he added with a soft smile. "Didn't think I'd ever see you again."

"Kind of hoped I'd never have a reason to be here," Bella added.

Nodding, he shifted his attention to Edward. "Sure you weren't followed?"

"Yep." Edward reached over and placed his hand on Bella's shoulder. "Get them inside. I'll grab our stuff."

Bella shuffled Charlie inside the house. As the screen door closed behind them, she found herself drawn to a slew of pictures that hung on the walls. Pulling away from Charlie, she walked over and pulled one down, noting the carefree smile on her face. A different life, a different time, back when she was happy, when she didn't worry about footprints in the snow.

"B?"

Bella hung the picture back onto the wall and looked behind her, smiling at the small, pixie like woman standing in the doorway to the kitchen. Her long black hair cradled her face and her dark eyes were full of sparkle.

"Hey, Al," she whispered, opening her arms as Alice Whitlock rushed across the room, throwing herself into Bella's arms. "Missed you, little sister."

 **Thank you for all the reviews. I know this is confusing, but it's a delicate story to tell.**


	5. Chapter 4

4

For a moment, Bella let herself get lost in the feelings of holding her best friend for the first time in over five years. It wasn't until a small, soft voice said, "Mommy," that she was pulled back to reality. Yanking herself out of Alice's embrace, she turned to the tiny, dark haired girl standing just inside the house and reached for her. Charlie scrambled across the room, leaping into Bella's arms. She could feel the little girl shaking, and hated once more that she had to cause such strife in her innocent life. Charlie deserved better.

"Mommy, I want to go home!" Charlie cried, burying her face against the side of Bella's neck.

"B?" Alice whispered, her hands coming up to cover her mouth. "But I thought . . ."

"I know," Bella murmured. "I'm sorry, Al. I'm . . . I'm just sorry."

Without giving more of an explanation, knowing that she'd have to confess her sins sooner rather than later, Bella held her daughter tighter and walked away, searching for a safe place to let the little girl cry. She found, what she hoped to be, the guest room and kicked the door closed behind them. She sat on the edge of the bed, cradling Charlie against her.

"It's okay, sweet girl. I promise," Bella lied. Knowingly lied to her. Nothing was going to be okay, not until _he_ was taken out. Prison proved not to be strong enough to hold him, the law couldn't touch him. Time had proven that much over and again.

So instead, Bella held Charlie until she cried herself to sleep. Then she tucked the little girl into the bed and slipped out of the room. She found Edward sitting in the living room with Jasper and Alice, the tension thick and unasked questions hanging in the air – questions she knew she had to answer whether she wanted to or not.

"She okay, B?" Edward asked, tilting his head toward the small hallway.

"No," she admitted. "Her world's been destroyed and it's all my fault."

He shook his head, but didn't argue with her.

"B," Alice whimpered, and Bella sighed as she settled on the coach next to Edward and turned her attention to the small, dark haired woman sitting across from her. Five years had passed, but she didn't look like she had aged a day. "I don't understand. I thought . . . she . . . you . . . Please, tell me what is going on!"

"Al. . ." Bella paused and shook her head. "The only way to protect her was to run, to run and hide."

"Fake your death," she said, quietly. "I thought you were dead, that you'd lost her."

Bella wasn't sure what to say, so she sat there saying nothing. The decision to lie to the only person who really understood the hell she went through wasn't one she made easy. The only solace Bella had over the last five years was that Alice had gotten out, too.

"She's beautiful," Alice murmured with a smile. "She looks like you."

"Hmm," Bella hummed, unsure of what to say. Sure, there were parts of her daughter that reminded her of herself, but there was more of him in her than she wanted to admit.

"What's her name?" Alice asked.

Tears filled Bella's eyes as she stood, her daughter's name tumbling out of her mouth as she fled the room. "Charlie Renee."

Rushing outside, she stumbled down the porch, falling to her knees as she sobbed. As a pair of arms wrapped around her and she looked up into the piercing green eyes that saved her from a life of hell, she thought about her father and mother, how much they would love their granddaughter, and wished more than anything that she could feel their arms around her once more.


	6. Chapter 5

5

"B?"

Bella pulled herself out of Edward's safe embrace, immediately missing the comfort his arms offered. Tears saturated her face as she spoke. "I was nothing to him, Al. Nothing, but a toy for him to fuck with. He knew it, I knew it, and the moment I realized he knocked me up, I knew I had to get save her. He would have used her against me, stolen her away, and . . . Well, it was one thing to let him hurt me, I couldn't let him do that to her. Not to her, Al."

"So you just what? Faked your death? Left in the middle of the night? Pretended the rest of us didn't exist anymore? It's been five years, B! Five years of grieving my best friend!"

"Trust me, I know how long it's been," she murmured, dragging a hand through her hair. "I've spent the last five years running from the man who made it his mission to torture me, Al. You know what he did to me, what I let him do to me. Every time I look in the mirror, I'm reminded of how stupid I was for letting a piece of shit like him ever touch me in the first place."

And without letting them stop her, or reassure her for the hundredth time that it wasn't her fault that he lured her into a world where she thought it was normal to be beaten, raped, tortured, Bella wrapped her arms around herself, walked past Edward, Alice, and Jasper, and found herself curling up next to the dark-haired, five year old girl who gave her a reason to run. A reason to live. A reason to fight.

—MfM—

" _You know what I love the most about you," the smooth, silky voice whispered in her ear, causing her to shutter and pull away. Yet, the weight of his body against hers made it impossible for her to move. "The way you beg for mercy."_

 _Bella fought the tears that burned her eyes, desperate to be stronger than she actually was._

 _He laughed — fucking laughed — as he grabbed her hair and yanked her head back against him._

 _Bella screamed._

" _Music to my fucking ears, my love."_

Bella startled as she awoke, springing up in the bed. For a split second, she forgot where she was, forgot about the pain and humiliation she was running from. Forgot about the small girl who had fallen asleep in her arms. The girl who was no longer sleeping next to her.

Bella scrambled off the bed and rushed out of the room and through the small house, finding Charlie sitting on the couch in the living room with Edward while old reruns of Tom and Jerry played on the T.V. Blowing out a hurried breath, she tried to keep from scooping the girl up and running out the door with her. It was an impulse she had fought every day since the young girl was born.

"She woke up about an hour ago," Alice said, coming from behind Bella and leaning her head on her shoulder. "I made her some eggs and toast, but she didn't eat them. Offered her some milk and juice, but she also said no."

"It takes her a while to adjust to new people," Bella whispered. "I'm actually surprised she's out here like this. She's . . . Well, I spent the first two month sitting next to her when she started Kindergarten because she'd throw a tantrum if I didn't. She has his temper."

"Hmm," Alice hummed. "That must be as difficult as leaving everything behind."

Bella nodded. "The only reason I agreed to run like I did, Al, was because I knew you were safe. He promised me that you were safe. I wouldn't have left you alone. You have to know that."

"He told me," she said, leaning away from her. "I just . . . I grieved you, B. I thought . . . I thought he had killed you, killed her, and I cried for you. Then you just show up here after five years and you have this beautiful little girl and I've spent the last five years grieving the death of my best friend."

"I spent the last five years trying to hide," Bella murmured, shifting her eyes to Alice. "He found us, Al. Found us in the middle of fucking nowhere."

"Oh," she whispered, shifting uncomfortably.

"You may have thought I was dead, but he never has. Every month, on the twenty-eight, I get a card. With flowers or butterflies, something stupid, cheesy, and romantic. An anniversary card, where he tells that soon we're going to be together again. So, yeah, Al, I faked my death and ran away like a coward, so that beautiful, sweet little girl, would never, ever know that Marcus Volturi was a monster, who rapes, beats, and tortures girls like her, and nobody can stop him. Nobody."

Bella pushed away from the wall and left Alice standing there with fear in her eyes and tears falling down her face.


	7. Chapter 6

6

Bella left Alice standing there with her eyes full of tears and walked over to where Charlie sat next to Edward. Smiling at her daughter, she scooped the small girl into her arms and sat with her on her lap, leaning her head against Edward's shoulder. The fact that Charlie had been sitting next to him spoke volumes about how much she trusted him, yet Bella feared her trust in anyone. Bella had put her trust in Marcus only to be betrayed.

"Mommy?" Charlie murmured, tilting her head back so that she was looking at Bella.

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"When are we going home?" she asked.

Bella pressed her lips together, trying to figure out the best way to answer, but before she could, the house shook as a loud explosion rattled the house, and scrambling to their feet, Bella, Charlie, and Edward followed Alice out the front door where they found Edward's car enveloped in flames.

"Oh, my God," Bella cried, swooping her daughter in her arms as she turned toward Edward. "It was him."

"Probably," Edward admitted before he rushed down the front steps. Jasper ran from the backside of the house with his shotgun in his arms and his eyes darting everywhere. "How could he have found us?"

"I don't know," Jasper muttered. "You sure he didn't follow?"

"Yes," Edward insisted. "I was careful."

"Clearly not," Jasper snarled, kicking a rock toward the burning car.

"What do we do now?" Bella cried, tightening her arm around Charlie, trying to keep from fleeing as she scanned the area for any sign of Marcus Volturi, like he was going to step from behind a tree and wave at her.

"We don't have many choices left," Edward murmured before he turned and looked at her. "We have to go back."

"Back?" she whispered, her eyes widening. "But you said . . . you said they couldn't know."

"What other option do we have now?" He asked, walking over and pulling Charlie out of her arms. Holding the small, girl with one arm, Edward brought his other hand up to Bella's face, wiping away the tears as they fell. "We can't giving him power over you, not again, B. It's time to take this fight public."

Bella's eyes closed. Maybe Edward was right, but how could she go back now? Would they forgive her for putting herself in the hands of the beast?


	8. Chapter 7

7

The minutes that followed Edward's decision were nothing short of organized chaos. Alice, Jasper, and Edward set off immediately to gather everything they needed to take with them. Financial papers, medical records, thumb drives with God only knew what on them. Well, that's not true. Bella knew. She knew firsthand the content that those drives held. The evidence of the hell she had been through, the utter and humiliation she suffered at the hands of a monster.

Bella tightened her arms around Charlie as they sat on the wooden porch swing and watched Alice, Jasper, and Edward run around frantically. She struggled not to fall apart, not to weep and beg God to forgive her for putting Charlie in the midst of such hell. It was one thing for Bella to pay for her sins, but Charlie was innocent, naïve, and Bella wanted to keep her that way. It's why she left everyone behind, let them believe she was dead. It was easier, she told herself. If they didn't know, they wouldn't keep looking.

Alice rushed out of the house with three small bags clutched in each hand just as Jasper came tearing from behind the house in a large, black SUV that looked like it had seen better days. He threw open the driver's door and rushed over to Alice, taking the bags from one of her hand and leading her to the back, where they stowed each bag.

Edward pulled the front door shut and turned his attention to Bella and Charlie, the green in his eyes filled with fear and worry that did little to help ease Bella's mind. He knelt in front of them, placing one hand on Charlie's back while cupping Bella's face in his other.

"I won't let him hurt you again," he murmured.

"You won't be able to stop him," Bella whimpered, her eyes burning with unfallen tears. "Nobody can stop him, E. He's too powerful."

"I will not let him hurt you again," he repeated, pushing up on his knees and pressing his forehead against hers. "And I won't let you hide from me, either. Not again."

"We need to go!" Jasper called out, pulling their attention to where he and Alice were standing. "Sorry, but we've got a lot of ground to cover and not nearly as much daylight as I'd like."

Edward nodded and turned his attention back to Bella. "Trust me, B."

"I do," she whispered. "With my life, and with hers."

Edward didn't reply as he stood up and offered her his hand. Though she wasn't sure they were making the right decision, Bella found herself letting him pull her up and leading her and Charlie to the rundown SUV. As Edward got Charlie settled in the backseat, Bella took one last look at the chard car, the smoke still billowing off it in soft curls.

"B, come on," Edward murmured, sliding his hand along the bottom of her back. "We've gotta get out of her."

Giving him a subtle nod, she climbed into the back seat next to Charlie and pulled her seatbelt, the nervous feeling in her gut intensifying as Jasper started the SUV and pulled away from the house. If Marcus could find them in the middle of nowhere Texas, what would keep him from finding her back home?


End file.
